a really good pair.
Vada leans toward the window, which is rolled down because it’s so damn hot. “Frank,” she says softly, and in his head, he puts the
darling
on the end for her. “It’s so kind of you to ask me to dinner.”
“I think it’s pretty swell that you agreed to go out with me.” Her laugh is just about the prettiest sound Frank has ever heard. God, she’s beautiful, but she’s more, much more than just looks.
He hurries around to the driver’s side and slides in, hoping to God the car doesn’t do that hiccup thing it does sometimes. He almost apologizes to Vada for not picking her up in a Cadillac or something even better, if there is such a thing, but he doesn’t, because the engine cranks right up. He puts his arm across the top of the seat to back out of the driveway. Vada doesn’t move away, but she doesn’t slide across the bench and rest her head on his shoulder, either.
He sits there for a moment, and she cocks her pretty head to the side. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, no.” He just has no idea how he’s going to drive this car, because he can’t stop staring at her.
She declares she’s hungry. He would run all the way to China in bare feet to satisfy this woman, so he puts the car in gear and starts down the road toward Highway 17, grinning like a fool.
“Your food is wonderful, Frank. Why aren’t we going to the diner?” Frank looks at her like she’s got to be kidding, and she laughs again. He could get used to this, her pretty face, the easy way about her, the way she tucks her hands under her thighs so that they disappear underneath the sides of her pouffy dress. She’s trying not to talk with her hands, but he wishes she would. He loves watching her long, slender fingers tell her story.
“No way.”
“Where, then?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“
Oooh
, I love surprises. Can you give me a hint?”
“Afraid not, ma’am. You’ll have to torture me to get it out of me.” Sitting here with both hands on the steering wheel, unable to touch her, is torture enough. “But if you really want to know, I’ll tell you.” She turns toward him and is a few inches closer than she was. She’s nodding, grinning like it’s Christmas morning. “I’m taking you to the best damn restaurant in Charleston.”
“
What? No!
” She looks pale, like she might be sick. Hell, maybe she is. She’s holding her stomach. He’s positive the next words out of her mouth will be a demand to go home. The Plymouth limps over to the side of the road, and he puts the car in park.
“Vada, are you all right?”
She nods her head. “Why?”
“Well, I was worried about you—”
“No.” She shakes her head like she’s getting ready to throw up. “Why Charleston?”
Her cheeks are corpse white. He stifles the urge to run the backs of his fingers across them. Even dog sick, she’s the most beautiful woman Frank has ever seen. “I don’t have any idea what the best restaurant is, but I figured once we got to King Street, I’d ask around and take you there. I don’t know much about Charleston. I’ve only been there once.” He doesn’t tell her it was to get turned down flat by the Navy.
Suddenly it occurs to Frank; she’s ashamed of this boat he’s driving. Maybe it’s the khakis. Hell, maybe she’s ashamed of him and would probably die if she saw someone she knew there. He ought to kick himself; of course she’d die if that someone she knew was her boyfriend. “The truth is, I wanted to take you there because Charleston is a pretty grand place. I thought you’d like it.”
“Oh,” she says softly, the color coming back to her face. “Really, Frank, we don’t have to go that far.”
Now he feels his face, blushing hot like a child’s. “I guess I was trying to impress you.” She puts her hand on his; his heart turns cartwheels against his chest. “Silly, huh?”
“It’s not silly at all, but I don’t want to go that far; we’d get back late, and
Vada leans toward the window, which is rolled down because it’s so damn hot. “Frank,” she says softly, and in his head, he puts the
darling
on the end for her. “It’s so kind of you to ask me to dinner.”
“I think it’s pretty swell that you agreed to go out with me.” Her laugh is just about the prettiest sound Frank has ever heard. God, she’s beautiful, but she’s more, much more than just looks.
He hurries around to the driver’s side and slides in, hoping to God the car doesn’t do that hiccup thing it does sometimes. He almost apologizes to Vada for not picking her up in a Cadillac or something even better, if there is such a thing, but he doesn’t, because the engine cranks right up. He puts his arm across the top of the seat to back out of the driveway. Vada doesn’t move away, but she doesn’t slide across the bench and rest her head on his shoulder, either.
He sits there for a moment, and she cocks her pretty head to the side. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, no.” He just has no idea how he’s going to drive this car, because he can’t stop staring at her.
She declares she’s hungry. He would run all the way to China in bare feet to satisfy this woman, so he puts the car in gear and starts down the road toward Highway 17, grinning like a fool.
“Your food is wonderful, Frank. Why aren’t we going to the diner?” Frank looks at her like she’s got to be kidding, and she laughs again. He could get used to this, her pretty face, the easy way about her, the way she tucks her hands under her thighs so that they disappear underneath the sides of her pouffy dress. She’s trying not to talk with her hands, but he wishes she would. He loves watching her long, slender fingers tell her story.
“No way.”
“Where, then?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“
Oooh
, I love surprises. Can you give me a hint?”
“Afraid not, ma’am. You’ll have to torture me to get it out of me.” Sitting here with both hands on the steering wheel, unable to touch her, is torture enough. “But if you really want to know, I’ll tell you.” She turns toward him and is a few inches closer than she was. She’s nodding, grinning like it’s Christmas morning. “I’m taking you to the best damn restaurant in Charleston.”
“
What? No!
” She looks pale, like she might be sick. Hell, maybe she is. She’s holding her stomach. He’s positive the next words out of her mouth will be a demand to go home. The Plymouth limps over to the side of the road, and he puts the car in park.
“Vada, are you all right?”
She nods her head. “Why?”
“Well, I was worried about you—”
“No.” She shakes her head like she’s getting ready to throw up. “Why Charleston?”
Her cheeks are corpse white. He stifles the urge to run the backs of his fingers across them. Even dog sick, she’s the most beautiful woman Frank has ever seen. “I don’t have any idea what the best restaurant is, but I figured once we got to King Street, I’d ask around and take you there. I don’t know much about Charleston. I’ve only been there once.” He doesn’t tell her it was to get turned down flat by the Navy.
Suddenly it occurs to Frank; she’s ashamed of this boat he’s driving. Maybe it’s the khakis. Hell, maybe she’s ashamed of him and would probably die if she saw someone she knew there. He ought to kick himself; of course she’d die if that someone she knew was her boyfriend. “The truth is, I wanted to take you there because Charleston is a pretty grand place. I thought you’d like it.”
“Oh,” she says softly, the color coming back to her face. “Really, Frank, we don’t have to go that far.”
Now he feels his face, blushing hot like a child’s. “I guess I was trying to impress you.” She puts her hand on his; his heart turns cartwheels against his chest. “Silly, huh?”
“It’s not silly at all, but I don’t want to go that far; we’d get back late, and
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